By Wednesday he was seemingly being shunted into the margins of Lions selection by the head coach himself, Warren Gatland, who figured that he needed a specialist openside to contend with top-of-the-ground Australian breakaways such as David Pocock and Michael Hooper.

And now? Well, how much longer do we have to persist with the notion that Robshaw is not a specialist openside flanker? He has played in that position for Harlequins for the last three seasons.

He has worn No7 on his back in every one of the 12 Test matches played under Stuart Lancaster.

He has regularly topped chart rankings for best tackler, best contributor in the contact area, most carries, most involvements, being the nicest all-round guy on planet rugby ... you get the picture.

On Saturday he was up against Richie McCaw, the eminence grise of the breakdown, a cerebral warrior of the tackle. Again, it was Robshaw’s day: clever, tough, busy and productive. What else does he have to do?

Robshaw deserves more. He is patronised by so many, praised for being willing and honest, unflinching but somehow limited. England would not have managed to do what they did on Saturday if that is all that he has to offer.

Robshaw is a live contender for the No 7 Lions shirt and with it the captaincy.

Admittedly, there is a long run to the tape; a Six Nations Championship to get through with body as well as reputation intact.

If Robshaw performs as he has done this last four weeks then he will have pushed himself to the front of the queue. The furore over his supposed captaincy blobs has only served to enhance his image, not detract from it. A lesser man would have wilted. Robshaw grew stronger, drawing on the deep-rooted respect in which his team-mates hold him. He’s a toughie.

Those selfsame blokes in white have also ended the autumn series hugely in credit. If a Lions XV were to be picked today based on the evidence of the November matches then England would supply at least nine players, seven of them in the forwards.

The only point of divergence would come at No 8 where Ben Morgan has yet to reach the form he showed in the 2012 Six Nations. Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip is still the market leader in that regard.

Elsewhere, the manner in which England shackled and rattled the All Blacks has to support the claim that they are a gathering force.

A leading coach remarked in private recently that Wales players on Lions tours feed off the innate self-confidence of the English who believe that they are good even when they are not.

How the Welsh could do with a feel-good infusion now. The peaks and troughs syndrome is wearily familiar to Wales followers. From the darlings of the last World Cup, Grand Slam champs to boot, they have become also-rans in 12 months. Gatland badly needs a productive championship from the Celts to help deliver players to him in upbeat mood.

England, of course, are not guaranteed to carry on from where they left off on Saturday although so well structured has been their development that you fancy they will.

For all their miseries, Scotland have several outstanding individuals from lock Richie Gray to wing Tim Visser. Whoever comes in to replace Andy Robinson cannot afford to do a Rafael Benítez and flounder for the first few matches.

Ireland, too, were wallowing until their final coup de theatre against Argentina. Wing Craig Gilroy has come steaming through while prop Cian Healy and second row Donncha Ryan have been robust and prominent.

But the force is with England. Given the nature of yet another last-gasp Wales defeat to Australia, it would have taken something quite extraordinary to lighten Gatland’s mood as he surveyed the fallout from his last match in charge of Wales until the Lions tour is over.

The news from Twickenham fell squarely into that category. Robshaw led the charge against New Zealand. You can be sure that Gatland has taken note. And rightly so.

England's women repay RFU

Even after the final whistle had sounded at Twickenham there was more misery in store for New Zealanders as their Black Ferns women’s team were beaten by England 32-23 to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.

Given that they were the first country to give women the vote a century ago it is no surprise to learn that Kiwis take their women’s sport seriously.

Equal billing is the norm. What ought to be acknowledged here is just how proactive the Rugby Football Union has been in promoting the women’s game. The old farts have proven to be no chauvinists.

It's easy to pick fault

It is not easy this democracy thing. For years the IRB had been a stuffy, remote, old boys’ institution. A new CEO arrives, Aussie Brett Gosper, and embraces the modern age by going on Twitter @brettgosper.

He gets involved, notably when reacting to the lenient one-match ban handed out to All Black Adam Thomson for stamping. He’s promptly accused of pandering to public pressure. Damned if you do, damned ...